Everyone Should Be Happy
by elainefr
Summary: Cole gets an offer from someone familar


_ Maybe it just wasn't meant to be…_

Her words repeated themselves over and over. He closed his eyes tightly against the pain of what those words, his actions, and her leaving meant. It hurt, worse than any vanquishing potion or fireball that he'd ever had thrown at him. Time passed, he had no idea how much for his thoughts were almost singularly of her or more accurately how horribly wrong things had gone. He had made mistakes, more than a few, but so had she. The difference had been his mistakes cost lives and hers were largely accidental.

_Wasn't meant to be…_

"Phoebe!" he wailed to no one in particular. he felt the aloneness. There is no one here but him. It was his penance for harnessing all that power and using it for personal gain or at least trying to. Being a demon had not worked, being the source of all evil at not worked, not even being an Avatar, shifting times to his favor had not worked, for she was still lost to him and the loneliness surrounded him like an ill-fitting suit. Even worse, she had lost her ability to trust yourself to love again. That is something that he had never wished to happen; That always been one of her greatest strengths. He gave a grimace of the smile remembering how she had shown him what love was, True love. He had tried, the only way that he knew how- which wasn't saying much for a half-demon, but he did love her, and he tried to prove that this time without the theatrics or even her knowing. He had gotten Devon, a reformed demon to teach at magic school to show Phoebe that she needed to open herself up to love again and to be loved. Then to underscore that it helped Piper find her way back to Leo. He still considered them family, regardless of all that he had done. He knew that deep down they understood that he loved Phoebe, but they also knew that the way he grew up made it impossible for him and Phoebe to be together. It had worked and that was enough. Her happiness was the single most important thing and the glimpses that he had gotten into her life moving forward was of happy times. It still hurt him, but he took the pain for her happiness.

_Cole…_

_Who's there? _

_We have… a proposition for you. _

_Crap! Not the Avatar again!_

_We're not the Avatar Cole…_

_Then who the hell are you and why are you in my head?_

_How would you like to get all that you've lost Cole? We can give that to you Cole…_

Cole groan inwardly. This wasn't the first time that a demon had tried to offer him a proposition of coming back with the exchange being the charmed ones, or her two sisters, and helping them to let evil be the reigning power. There is no way that he would ever want to cause Phoebe another moment's pain.

_You know what true love is._

He felt something warm lightly fluttering kind of off to the left in his head. This place had no real weight to it, so whatever he imagined himself turning towards was almost blinding. The light he saw manifest grew into a brilliant purity.

"Who's there?"

He looked to where the light was, and it turned into a figure that soon turned into that of a woman. He waited, expecting another offer that he would have to turn down yet again. The woman bathes in the light, was very familiar to him. As he focused more, he realized that it was Prue, Prue Halliwell.

"Prue? What you are doing here?"

She looked at him searching his face for... Something.

"Cole." Her voice was almost foreign into her own ears since where she was now, she hadn't used it in so very long. "I'm here to make you an offer."

She had been wrong about him. Her sister loved him, and he obviously loved her and although he had went about doing it wrong, he wanted what was best for Phoebe. Now she had the opportunity to help bring forth something good for her baby sister, someone that she loved, but had such a rough time getting to know when they were younger. She could make it okay now. She could give them both what they wanted, and more than that she could give them both what they needed, what they deserved; she could help bring forth what all people deserved really peace, love, happiness, the whole thing.

_What new source of fresh hell is this? Wrong Halliwell sister fellows she's not the one I think of every day, every moment, every second... Not even close._

He looked at the young woman with thinly disguised impatience.

_He's looking as though he doesn't know who I am oh, maybe I should introduce myself?_

"Cole, it's me Prue. Phoebe sister"

Cole gave a slight chuckle. It did manage to amuse sometimes, even this outside of time and place, wherever it is.

"Okay, shoot. I'll bite, what is it Prue?"

"Cole it's really me Prue. I've seen how you've been struggling, and I want to help."

"Why, I was never one of your favorite people."

She looked down clearly embarrassed by her past behavior; Then looked back at him in the same old challenging way that she always did.

"I know, I always protected my family sometimes- too much but, I always had to keep them safe…... You love Phoebe…"

He stared at her, wondering what the angle was.

"I want to help. I want to make up for some of the stuff that I did to keep you two apart."

"Easy as it would be to simply blame you for everything that went wrong between me and Phoebe, I know that I did a lot- more than a lot for things to have went as horribly wrong as they did."

_Taking responsibility for your past mistakes that's a good step, one that I've see you've been taking for quite some time now._

"I don't have much time to be here."

"Then leave."

"I'm trying to make sure that my sister has what she needs to be happy. You've had a profound effect on her life."

"Don't remind me." He spoke wryly. He didn't need reminders of how he'd screwed up the best thing that happened to him.

_You can be such a stubborn ass sometimes! _

"I'm giving you the opportunity to go back to her."

Cole looked at the eldest sister and the hope that she saw there only reinforced that she was right.

"What's the catch?"

"You'll have to meld with another."

"I tried that, didn't work out."

"You tried that with evil, not with good. Good would only enhance your finer attributes."

"How?"

_Finally, I have your attention._

"They're sending someone to Phoebe to try and make up for everything that she's been through and he's a great guy, but I wanted to make sure that she falls for him."

"There's no guarantee that-"

"She fell for you once and truth be told, I don't think she ever fell completely out of love with you. Isn't it worth the risk?"

He looked at her warily, but with the slightest glimmer of hope.

"I don't want her to remember…" he gestured to himself, "the worst parts of me."

"Don't worry Cole, I couldn't take away her past even if I could. It's what's made her the strong and independent woman that she is." She looked at him reading the guilt on him. "Even the bad parts have a say in who we are."

He looked at her and saw that she was genuine in her wish to help him and Phoebe.

"Okay, I'll do it. How does this work?"

"You'll be born into something of pure love and good. The Elders have agreed to put this person in Phoebe's path and then we let nature take its course."

"What about- what about my other side- Balthazar?"

"Only the human side of you will go, the good magic will fill the spot where Balthazar used to dwell, but you have to want it otherwise it won't work, and you could be gone permanently if things go wrong."

_That's not scary at all…_

"Look, Cole, I know this can be overwhelming, but it's the only way that I could see you both having the lives together that you both wanted."

Prue looked at the man that had brought her sister so much pain over the years, but she did concede that he had also brought Phoebe enormous joy too. Probably because he was the first guy that she had allowed herself to completely love. The men before had been fun interludes, but after Phoebe had connected with her sisters on a deeper level with a new understanding of love through family and within herself, she had known that there was more to relationships than good sex. It wasn't until she had allowed herself to be loved by Cole that she understood what she had been missing. Incidentally, it was that love that had misguidedly made her cling to it so hard even in the darkness of the Source of All Evil that cloaked them after Shak's had killed Prue. Prue'd heard much later about how her sisters had struggled, but thankfully found themselves after her death. They had even managed to come together and reform the Power of Three with the new addition of their baby sister. Prue was sorry that she hadn't the chance to meet Paige, but she got it…now. Balance and all that, besides as her mother and grams had explained to her, she had done more than her fair share and now she could move on to be happy with Andy in this other place that was so special.

"I'll do it."

"Okay," she held out a hand that he took.

The moment they made contact, Cole found himself in a weightless state, almost like he was floating. There were no visible faces, but he did get the distinct feeling that there were beings near- one of which was Prue. She didn't have to speak, but instead her familiar presence gave him much comfort. Cole lay back and thought only of Phoebe…

_Prue, are you certain this is what you want?_

_ It's not about Elder W. It's about doing what's right for Phoebe and for Cole. She's grown so much, and he's tried so hard to be good person. They both deserve a real chance._

_ You risked a lot…_

_ Not a risk when it's for someone that you love._

_ …. Mmmm…_

_ How long will it take?_

_ Not long…._

_ What is this magical form of purity that he's going to take anyway?_

_ A cupid._

_ Like a cupid, cupid? She's already met him back when I was alive._

_ There is more than one cupid in the world, just like there's more than one witch. _

_ I know….._

_ They are the epitome of love after all. So maybe when she sees it staring her in the face…_

_ She'll do what she was borne to do, receive and give love. From there it will only spread generationally and good will continue to flourish._

_ It's time for you to go back to your own happiness. You've done all you can here. _

_ Thank you for helping me with this. _

_ It's a pleasure. You weren't enjoying your full happiness for worrying about your sister and I couldn't have that, now could I? _

_ Why did you feel it was your place to help me?_

The elder looked upon the dark-haired little witch that had almost worried herself out of a happy afterlife and shook his head.

_ You have a young man waiting on you remember?_

He gestured towards where a doorway of light had opened beckoning to her.

_ She smiled in thanks and after casting one last look towards where Cole's old form was fading and a new one was being made, she left._

The elder turned back to where the almost complete transformation was being done.

_Don't worry, you'll be with her soon…_

The cocoon of white began to peel away, and the man sat up turning towards the elder.

_Where am I?_

_ Don't worry, all is well. You must return to earth soon for a very special mission._

_ What mission?_

_ You must help a particularly special young lady find love. That is your one and only objective._

_ Okay. Who is she?_

_ Her name is Phoebe Halliwell._

_ Okay._

_ She is someone that deserves to be happy with anyone that she wants. Understand. _

The seated man looked at the hooded figure.

_You've been a brilliant cupid, but this one's gonna require a more personal touch. It's why you agreed to the revitalization chamber that you just woke up from. Your memories should be back any moment now._

_ They are…thanks. I thought there would another voice or something in my head._

_ I told you that's not how it works. You were both two willing souls that brought together your best sides for the sake of good._

_ I was at a loss for what to do when you granted me this opportunity. It's hard putting together so many potentials only to have it squandered and thrown away… it hurt me, physically when they would destroy each other in the name of love…_

_ Worry not. It's time for you to return for final this mission._

_ Final?_

_ I have a feeling that you'll want to scale back significantly. You'll continue to do your work, but it'll be different for you. This job is different. Now go…_

The elder watched as the man stood and moved toward the light that opened for him.

_Safe travels Cooper…_

_ Elder Warren, it's time for the meeting of the minds._

_ I'm coming…_

_ Does she know?_

_ Of course not. There is no need for Prue to know of my connection to them or my beloved Melinda. Everything has unfolded as it should….._

_ Yes sire…_

The elders continued to meet with the others where they would commune and concentrate on preserving the greater good for all humanity…


End file.
